home loans

This is not an easy question to answer because it depends entirely upon the details and circumstances of the potential borrower and what they are trying to achieve.

Whenever anyone is looking to borrow equity from their home they could possibly do a refinance of their existing mortgage and then request cash back at the close of escrow.

Ideally they would be reducing their interest rate on the mortgage they are refinancing and then receiving the extra funds they requested and are happy with their decision.

They will have a mortgage payment to make each month and it might be larger than what they had been previously paying, because they have taken out cash from their equity and increased their loan amount, even if they reduced the interest rate.

The applicant will have to go through a lengthy Underwriting process, have excellent credit, job stability, cash reserves and enough income to meet the “debt to income” ratios and of course good FICO scores.

This can be a very stressful process as it is more difficult to qualify for traditional mortgages than it was in the past and a great deal of documentation must be “willingly” provided by the applicant to complete the loan process.

And of course, they will have points and fees included in their loan amount as well and depending upon the size of the loan and the interest rate they choose, those fees will vary.

But what if their current loan already has a low interest rate and they want to keep it?

They could consider a Second Trust Deed that would be at a Fixed rate, a Home-Equity-Line-of-Credit or if they are aged 62 or more, a reverse loan/HECM/Home Equity Conversion Mortgage.

Unlike a HELOC, an FHA HECM reverse mortgage will not record in a second position and any existing mortgages on the property will have to be repaid from the funds from the reverse loan.

An annuity should never be purchased using money from a reverse loan, but in the past there were times when a reverse loan borrower would unwisely do just that and sometimes these vulnerable seniors were (for lack of a less sensitive term) “robbed”.

But what has happened since then to protect seniors from this kind of scam?

In 1987 Congress passed the FHA Insurance and Uniform Lending practices and the FHA insurance bill that would insure Reverse mortgages.

The first reverse mortgage to be insured by FHA was in 1989 and they continue to oversee this program very closely as an added protection to seniors and since that time additional oversight has come from Housing & Economic Recovery Act, HUD, Ginnie Mae, the National Reverse Lenders Association and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Prior to this time, reverse loans were created and offered by other entities such as insurance companies in exchange for a portion of the equity of the borrower’s home when they passed away and at very high interest rates.

And quite often an annuity was tied to this transaction by obligating the borrower to use the funds from the reverse loan to purchase this insurance product.

Is this an acceptable suggestion for a senior to utilize in their “later” years?

Divorce is always an emotional and difficult experience regardless of the reason or the age of the two individuals who are experiencing this wrenching event in their lives.

Overall the national average of divorcing couples has declined over the years but what is odd, is that it has tripled for those couples over the age of 65 since the 1990’s.

The reasons for senior or “gray’ divorce vary but some of the more common ones is that after raising their children for many years, they began to see themselves as simply parents and no longer friends or lovers.

Then when the adult children leave the home and start their own lives, an older couple may discover that they no longer have any shared interests as they have grown apart over this period of time.

The financial implications of a “gray’ divorce can be quite complicated in that any assets and or retirement funds could end up being liquidated with disastrous consequences for the couple and their future financial stability and security.

I am not a financial advisor and certainly not a Divorce attorney and not qualified to provide any guidance in this matter and it’s best for couples to always seek professional advice when it comes to something as serious as a divorce and splitting up their assets.

However if there is equity in the home, it may be adequate enough to utilize a Reverse mortgage as a tool to either give half of it to one of the divorcing party’s and or buy them out in exchange for the other party receiving any investments they may have accrued together.

But a property settlement would have to be created by their mutual Divorce attorneys to make a final determination as to how all assets are to be divided.

In my previous post I discussed the one fee or expense on reverse loans that conventional mortgages do not have. And that was the FHA insurance premium for MIP.

Conventional mortgages allow what some would call “Lender junk fees”, which typically are for processing, underwriting and other “back office” costs the lender will pass on to the borrower. And they can add up to additional $1800 to $2000 on a traditional mortgage.

But they are not considered “allowable fees” to a reverse mortgage borrower and cannot be charged and built into the loan.

What are the fees that a reverse loan applicant can expect?

Flood Certificate – Pulled by the Appraiser

Appraisal fee

Credit Report

All title settlement, title insurance, transfer fees and recording fees. These are based on the loan amount, the Title company and county or state.

Document preparation fee

Notary

Payees; all third party fee and third party providers must be disclosed on the HUD-1 Settlement Statement per RESPA. List all required loan fees, including fees paid outside of Closing on their worksheets.

The first time I ever speak with anyone who’s seeking information about Reverse loans, I always ask them why they are looking into one and how it would improve or change their life.

Most of the common reasons are the following ones:

Eliminate an existing mortgage and stop having to make mortgage payments each month.

Increase “cash” flow.

Home improvements

Money for unexpected expenses, especially for care-giving and medical bills.

Avoiding withdrawals on savings and investments.

Traveling

Downsizing and buying a new residence.

If the reason to use a reverse loan is for cost of living expenses and increased cash flow, the funds from it can certainly make a difference in the quality of life for a senior, but what is the other option or options?

Sell their home? Or possibly rent out a bedroom or two, to family members or strangers?

Most people don’t want their privacy compromised by having strangers living in their home and having to tolerate someone else’s habits and behaviors that may not be compatible to their way of doing things.

Plus, it can be dangerous or at the least a bad experience.

This leaves the other option of simply selling their home, taking whatever money they net after paying Broker fees, home inspection costs and paying off an existing mortgage.

Hopefully they will net enough money to afford rent payments and continue to live on their own until they run out of their funds from the sale of their home.

Let’s discuss this last option in my next post. Does it make sense? Is it a good idea?

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Dear Lorraine, You began the process for me, the process of breathing again. We were both working our display booths at the Ventura County buildings; mine with the County Fire Department and you represented your advisory company. As you descibed the highlights of a Reverse mortgage to me, it dawned on me that this could be the answer to my problem, ie., how could I pay for my wife's medical condition. After that lucky meeting, I checked out your company & found out it was doing business with FHA & apparently doing so without trouble. I checked out 3 other similar agencies, all with similar track records. So- I stayed with my original choice and didn't regret it for a single moment. So I thank you once again and strongly recommend your company to any other seekers of a compassionate and willing helper. Sincerely, Raymond A. O'Grady Newbury Park, CA
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